Week 4 Player Spotlight: Tates Creek vs Frederick Douglass

Prep Redzone will be in Lexington this Friday to watch Tates Creek host Frederick Douglass in a Region 4 matchup in the 6A division. These players have jumped out to me as potential X-factors as the Commodores look to pull off the upset and the Broncos hope to remain undefeated in the young season.   *We recently covered Frederick Douglass' win over DuPont Manuel last week. Players scouted include [player_tooltip player_id='1284247' first='Dakari' last='Talbert'], [player_tooltip player_id='1200560' first='Demond' last='Green'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1284257' first='Tacori' last='Fields']. Those three players will be omitted from this article, and you can read their report <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/09/five-eye-catchers-in-douglass-v-dupont-manual/">here</a>.*   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frederick Douglass</h2>    [player_tooltip player_id='1314812' first='Cionne' last='Conn'] is regarded as one of the top defensive backs in the state and has had a fast start to the season for Frederick Douglass in 2026. Conn has fantastic reaction time and speed on his pursuit angles. He plays fast, clean, and hits hard. Conn can play up and stop the run downhill, but has also demonstrated his ability to stay in stride with opposing receivers deep downfield. He projects well as a safety at the next level, which is evident in the several offers he already possesses, including EKU, Ball State, Southern Mississippi, WKU, Miami Ohio, UT Martin, and Lindenwood.     [player_tooltip player_id='1284258' first='Rahzeon' last='Gillispie'] is an offensive lineman with great size and strength for Frederick Douglass. At 6'4" and nearly 300 pounds, Gillispie's speed is atypical for an athlete of his size. That makes him a perfect option to pull block from the left guard spot. He often overpowers his opposition in one-on-one situations and can reach the second level if need be. His oodles of offers include: EKU, Akron, Ohio, Southern Mississippi, Grambling, Bethune-Cookman, and UT Martin, but he remains uncommitted as we near the midway point of the regular season.     [player_tooltip player_id='2384903' first='Carter' last='Ross'] has broken off two chunk touchdown plays over the past two weeks. He's one of the fastest players in the state, too, with him clocking in speeds of 21 MPH and 20.9 MHP, respectively. Ross was named Douglass' offensive player of the week for his performance and continues to stand out among a loaded Broncos offense. That type of speed will put Ross, who does not currently have any offers, in a position to play at the next level.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tates Creek</h2>    [player_tooltip player_id='1665339' first='Deonte' last='Moses'] has great size and speed for a defensive lineman, which translates well at the next level. In preparation for a big senior year, he was recently tabbed to Prep Redzone's preseason 6A All-State defensive team. Moses is coming off a season where he showcased several skills that set him apart from other DL in the Commonwealth, including his ability to shed blocks, his explosiveness off the snap to burst into the backfield and control his gaps, and great length that helps him cover ground that others at his position don't possess.     [player_tooltip player_id='1217856' first='Aberian' last='Dean'] racked up several offers after a massive offseason, including his first Division I offer from Stetson. Dean plays both ways for the Commodores and is coming off a season in which he produced eight tackles for loss from the DT position. Dean also allowed one sack offensively. He turned that into a productive offseason with camps in preparation for his senior season. While Tates Creek's season isn't off to the start they'd hoped for, Dean is a player who they can lean on to play disciplined, hard-nosed football regardless of the situation.     [player_tooltip player_id='1684934' first='Ace' last='Davis'] has one of the quickest releases of any quarterback I've covered so far. The timing on his release helps him put zip on the ball, allowing him to fit the ball into tight windows. His accuracy and arm strength are also impressive. He was a 2025 First Team All-Central Kentucky Freshmore Team selection and has done well commanding the offense in his first season as the main varsity starter. He's developed a strong connection with WR [player_tooltip player_id='2373168' first='Zion' last='Gatewood'] (who we covered <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/09/central-kentucky-wrs-on-the-rise/">here</a>), and has been potent when linking up in the passing game this season.

Prep Redzone will be in Lexington this Friday to watch Tates Creek host Frederick Douglass in a Region 4 matchup in the 6A division. These players have jumped out to me as potential X-factors as the Commodores look to pull off the upset and the Broncos hope to remain undefeated in the young season.